Wednesday, 1 March 2017

I've written reviews about tax accountants before. First in 2012, I wrote about Greenback Tax Services and then in 2013 I wrote about Taxes for Expats. I never used Taxes for Expats for my tax returns due to the dodgy feeling I got from them. I used Greenback Tax Services from 2011-2014. In 2015, I decided to try a different accountant. The two people who ran this service were Americans who had lived in Korea for years. They're called Tax Uncomplicated and their Facebook group is called U.S. Expat Taxes in Korea. I figured they would have a different prospective on things.Tax Uncomplicated is the American headquarters and Klemsen Consulting is the Korean branch.

I exchanged messaged with Wayne Allen Pfeister over Facebook. They put their prices on their website. However, as I mentioned before I don't just have one income from one country, so that complicates things. I knew I wasn't going to be paying the basic fee, but that's fine with me. I was quoted 235,000 KRW, which is about $200. That's about half of what I was paying with Greenback Tax Services and I liked the fact that they had lived in Korea, so were familiar with that aspect of it.

Speed: 4
Wayne was pretty good at answering my questions very quickly, often within the same day. There were some lags, but I think that was because we were in different time zones.

Communication: 5
Absolutely fantastic. He answered all my questions and gave me all the information I needed. Their Facebook group is called U.S. Expat Taxes in Korea, is also great for getting information.

Price: 5
Looking at what other accountants charge for expat taxes, Tax Uncomplicated is very, very affordable. I paid less than I had before and got more back. However, getting more back could be due to re-marrying. Nonetheless, it's a fantastic deal. I also like the fact that since I live in Korea and make money in Korea, I could pay in Korean currency into a Korean bank account. No need to worry about exchange rates.

Quality: 5
Wonderful. He asked for my past returns and looked them over to see what Greenback Tax Services had done. Tax laws are always changing and he's on top of it and knows how to get the most money back. Their website is very simple and easy to navigate. There's something to be said about the fact that it's not confusing to find out what you need.

Professionalism: 5
Great. I was always treated with respect and in a professional manner. I never felt like any of the questions I asked were stupid.

Overall Review: 4.8
Tax Uncomplicated is great, especially for expats living in Korea. Working with accountants who know about Korea and can allow you to pay via Korean bank transfer makes everything so convenient. The one issue that people might have is that information is sent using email or Facebook. I know with Greenback Tax Services, they had a special encrypted client area. That might be something that they could look at for the future. However, I think Tax Uncomplicated targets a different niche: teachers in Korea. And unfortunately, let's face it, we're certainly not rolling in it.